MO Trip 2/4

Tracy Wilkins (the Springfield Cyclist) took time out of his weekend to host a late afternoon/early evening ride out west of town.  I had arrived in town to ride the Frisco Highline Trail the next day, and meeting up with Tracy was an excellent bonus.

Architecture is what you get when saving money isn't the primary motivation in a building project. 

The fantastically versatile Cross Check

He called it a "sunset ride" 

So we took photos 

And some of the ride looked like this 

But as time passed, the sun fell out of the sky 

And the light became more compelling 

We delighted in the massive rays 

And when it became dark,

we pedaled through the countryside

listening to the sounds

This post is way overdue, but there's no way I'm going to not thank Tracy publicly for a wonderful ride.  Go to his post for better sunset photos. Hey  buddy, if you can get down to Denton County, Texas, I'll return the favor.

Part 3/4 will be Frisco Highline Trail report.

MO Trip (1/4)

Sometimes you have to set a goal, plan ahead, destroy distractions, and make it happen.  But other times, a door opens, the path points downhill, and all you have to do is walk through.  My MO trip was a simple walk through.

I've been seeking an opportunity to visit my dad up in south central Missouri for months.  When it materialized, it was delightful that other opportunities appeared with it.

These photos are from an early morning ATV ride down from the ridgetop to a spring-fed creek.  The photo above is where the perfectly clear water springs from the ground.  It is a lovely spot in the morning.  A cool breeze, the morning light, and the quiet set the tone for a multi-day slow down for me.

After a nice visit with my dad, I was able to meet up with a couple of blog buddies, ride the Frisco Highline Trail, and do a practice run for a future short credit card tour.  But more about those things later...

Appetite for Adventure

He wasn't wearing the scout uniform, but he reminded me of the engaging little boy character in the movie, "Up".

He was a little pudgy, with full, round cheeks...maybe 9 or 10.  

When he stepped out of the Greenwood Grocery with a just-opened soft drink in his hand, he stopped dead in his tracks, smiled, and waved at me.

I had stopped there in the shade to refill a bottle, and had just pulled up when he stepped out of the store. 

It couldn't have been much past 7:30am, but I had been riding for well over an hour.

After the wave, he just stood there staring.  I could see in his facial expression that his brain was processing the sweaty, dusty old bicyclist he saw in front of him.

Then he asked, "What time did you get up this morning!?"

"About 5:30," I replied.

"Holy cow!", followed by a bigger grin, was his reaction.

Then he turned, joined his siblings and his mother, crawled into their minivan, and closed the doors.

But I think he has potential.  

Somewhere inside him is an appetite for adventure.

As long as there are mornings like this one, who could blame him?

Where Am I?

TEXAS!

Of course.

(but not very close to Denton County)

A Simpler Time

Life seems to be growing more complex every day.  

Not sure that is really best for us.  

Seems like simple things allow for a healthy amount of focus.

Don't really  need (or want) so many options, features, and conveniences.

All that stuff takes far too much time and energy.

Fortunately, for this old curmudgeon, my Saturday mornings awheel take me to a simpler time.

Lakeside Laziness

I'll go to great lengths to be lazy.  In this case, that meant making preparations the night before, rising early, boiling a couple of eggs, pedaling out of my way to stop at the donut shop for a sugary treat, and pedaling a few miles to the lakeside for a micro-tour.

Pictures prove how lazy I am.

 dark departure

 in route

 arrival

stove prep 

 lazy look south

brewing 

sip time 

standing in the lake 

MAP micro-tour bike 

lazy location 

 shoreline south

shoreline north 

local vegetation 

looking down 

 a good place to be

heading home

Lakeside laziness, lucky me.